A Virginia man is facing charges after he struck a vehicle and a pole on Dekalb Pike late Monday night, then fled the scene on foot.
According to the criminal complaint, Lower Gwynedd Township Police were dispatched to the intersection of Sumneytown Pike and Dekalb Pike at 11:16 p.m. on Aug. 5 for a report of an accident with injuries. Upon arrival, police found an unoccupied Chevrolet Suburban crashed against a telephone pole, and the owner of a black Honda Pilot standing on the shoulder of the road.
The engine compartment of the Chevrolet was fully engulfed with fire, which began spreading to the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver of the Honda, who had sustained injuries as a result of the crash, was transported via ambulance to Abington Hospital.
Witnesses told police that the Chevrolet was traveling northbound on Dekalb Pike when it was allegedly seen “driving all over the roadway and hopped over the center median,” the report states. The vehicle then ran a red light at the intersection with Sumneytown Pike and struck the Honda, according to the complaint.
The driver of the Chevrolet—later identified as 20-year-old Ramon Blanco, of Virginia—then fled the scene on foot, running westbound on Sumneytown Pike, the report states.
Investigators spoke with the owner of the vehicle, which was registered in North Carolina, who said that her husband was in the area for work, and pointed them to a hotel in Montgomeryville. Police then made contact with the vehicle owner’s husband, who said that his co-worker, Blanco, had used the Chevrolet around 10:30 p.m. to get cigarettes, the report states.
The following evening, Montgomery Township Police notified investigators that they had Blanco in custody. He was then transported to the Lower Gwynedd Police Department, where he allegedly told investigators that he had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving back from Norristown, and walked away from the scene of the crash to catch his breath as he said the impact knocked the wind out of him.
As a result of the investigation, Blanco has been charged with one felony count of accident involving injury-not properly licensed, one misdemeanor count of accident involving injury, and summary charges of failing to stop and render aid, driving without a license, reckless driving and failure to stop at a red signal.
Blanco was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Marc Alfarano, who set bail at $10,000 cash. He was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records, the affidavit of probable cause, and reflects the point of view of the police. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
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